Steal My Heart
by angelfan86
Summary: She thought she was alone on the island until she meets Sawyer. Set on the island but not really sticking to seasons. Rated T for some domestic violence, swearing, and eventual fluffies.
1. Name's Sawyer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LOST or any of the characters.

**Author's note: **My first LOST fic. Some Kate and Jack, but mostly Sawyer and a new character.

**Confession: **I know Jack is supposed to be the good boy, straight and narrow guy. But I just love Sawyer.

* * *

_"You think you're better than me, is that it?" He demanded as he shoved me against the wall._

_"No!" That's not it at all." I stammered quickly._

_"Stop lying to me!" He shouted right before he backhanded me. "You're damn right, you're not better than me. You're nothing." He said coldly as his hand wrapped around my throat._

_"Please…" I gasped. I knew better than to fight him. Struggling would only cause his grip to tighten faster._

_He ignored my plea and his grip tightened. "Shut up and die." He finally said as I began to lose consciousness. "You're getting exactly what you deserve." Darkness came and finally I felt nothing._

* * *

I woke with a gasp, and my hand nervously clutched at my throat. I sat up and looked around. I saw only the crystal clear waters of the ocean, and then I remembered where I was. Actually, I had no idea where I was, other than on the same beach I fallen asleep on. I did know that I was miles away from my nightmare.

I stood and brushed the sand off of my clothes and out of my hair. My hair was long again. Before I had become stranded on this island, I had kept my hair short, just below my ears. That gave my fiancé less to grab at during his violent rages.

I picked up my bag. I had made it out of an old leather jacket. I started walking. I had heard voices the night before, but I hadn't wanted to run into trouble at night. So I had made decided to wait until morning to try and discover the identity of the voices that I had heard.

I walked through some trees and wondered what kind of people I would encounter. Where they survivors from the plane that had crashed into the island? I hadn't been walking long when an attractive blond man stormed towards me. "Stupid… of course she didn't really love me. Of course, she loves the doctor." He muttered.

I started to move aside, but then thought better of it. "Excuse me." I said hoarsely. I cleared my throat and spoke again, louder this time. "Excuse me."

"What!" He snapped at me.

Ok, I was freaked out now. Talking to this guy was a bad idea. "Uh… nothing… never mind." I stammered as I started to walk away.

He grabbed my arm. "Not so fast, princess. Now, it seems to me that I haven't seen you 'round here before. You got something to say, then say it."

I tried to pull my arm away from him, but he was stronger than me. "Look, I've been stuck on this island, and I heard voices last night in the direction you came from. I just wanted to see if I had been imagining them." I said quickly.

His grip loosened, but he didn't let go. "You were on the plane?"

I shook my head. I had no idea what he was talking about, then I realized he meant the plane I'd seen crash. "No, I wasn't on your plane. I don't know how I got here."

"How long have you been here?" He demanded.

"Ummm… about two years, I think."

"You here with anyone else?"

I shook my head. "You're the first person I've seen since I've been here."

He finally let go of my arm and held out his hand. "Name's Sawyer, what's yours?"

"Natalie… my name is Natalie."


	2. Enter Jack

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it. Wish I did, but I don't.

**Author's note:** I like reviews, a lot. The more reviews I receive, the faster I write.

* * *

I followed Sawyer back to where he and the other survivors had set up an encampment. The shelters I saw made the one I had built look rather shabby. Of course, building things has never been my forte. A man was the first person to notice us. He almost ran over to us. By the look on his face, I could tell he wasn't particularly thrilled to see that Sawyer had company. "Who is she?!" He demanded like I wasn't even there.

"My name's Nat…"

"I didn't ask you." He snapped.

"Simmer down, Doc. I found her in the jungle."

"You found her in the jungle? Did the thought even cross your mind that she might be one of the others?"

By now I was thoroughly confused and he had mentioned others. My curiosity got the better of me. "There are other…?"

"Shut up!" The man Sawyer referred to as "Doc" said harshly. I did what he said, mostly because he looked about ready to punch me. I don't really like being punched. Come to think of it, not many people do.

Sawyer stepped between "Doc" and me; he looked ready to punch "Doc." "Listen, Jack, she ain't one of the others. She don't even know how she got here."

Finally, "Doc" had an actual name, not that I really wanted to know the name of the jerk that had just told me to "Shut up." He gave Sawyer a look that seemed to call Sawyer an idiot. "You found her in the jungle, she claims she doesn't know how she got here, and you really believe she's not one of the others?"

Sawyer just glared at Jack for a moment. I didn't like being called a liar, but I wasn't going to say anything yet. Fortunately, I didn't have to. Sawyer spoke for me. "She said she's only been here two year. I reckon the others have been here a bit longer than that."

"And you believe her story?" Jack asked again, as if he still thought I was one these "others", whoever they were.

Finally, I'd had enough. "Listen, I get that you don't trust me, I don't trust you either. But we will never leave this spot without violence if you don't at least show some common courtesy. You want to call me a liar, then call me a liar to my face!" I said hotly. Sawyer looked at me like I had grown a tail.

Jack was speechless for a moment, but only for a moment. "Fine, who are you?"

"My name is Natalie." I said frankly.

"Where are you from?"

"Texas."

"Where in Texas?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean 'You don't know'?" Jack snapped.

I was getting tired of him snapping at me, so I snapped back. "I mean exactly what I said. The only reason I remember my name, and that I'm from Texas is because my driver's license has that information on it. Beyond that, the only memories I have are the nightmares I keep having. Now, would you mind telling me who the hell these 'Others' are that you keep jabbering about?"

Sawyer's stunned expression turned into a look that was mix between Southern pride, and boyish glee. Jack did not look happy. Good for me. He stepped closer to me. "You expect me to believe that you've been on this island for two years, completely alone, and with no idea how you got here or what city you came from?"

I was getting tired of his inquisition. I dug into my bag and pulled out my driver's license. "You don't believe me, fine. Believe this." I said as I shoved my license in his face.

He took the license and examined it. Then he shrugged and handed it back to me. "That still doesn't explain why you can't remember what city you were from, or how you got here."

I sighed. "I don't understand either. I have snapshot memories from my nightmares of being engaged. But other than that, I remember waking up on this island with a nice gash on my head, and if you don't believe that then please enlighten me as to where I got this nice, two year old scar." I said and pointed to the scar that ran from the top center of my forehead to just above my left eye.

Jack crossed his arms and nodded. "Alright, I believe you, for now. What do you want?"

"What do you care, doc? Haven't you interrogated her enough?" Sawyer asked testily. "Besides, won't Kate be looking for you?"

"Leave Kate out of this."

"With pleasure." Sawyer replied snappishly.

"Enough." I said. "You two go settle whatever it is you have against each other else where. I came here because I heard voices last night and I was curious as to who they belonged to."

Sawyer put his arm around me. "See, she'll be fine. Now go find someone else to boss around."

Jack rolled his eyes and stormed away. I pulled away from Sawyer and turned to face him. "Would you please tell me who these 'others' are?" I asked.

He looked at me for a moment. "You really don't know, do you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Like I said, I haven't seen anyone in the two years I've been on the island."

Sawyer sat down and patted the ground next to him. "Sit down, princess, this is a long story."

I sat down and listened as Sawyer recounted everything that had happened since the plane had crashed. Jack's hostility towards me now made a bit more sense. Afterwards, he introduced me to the rest of the survivors. It was then decided that I would stay near a Korean couple named Jin and Sun. The rest of the day was spent with me building a shelter of my very own. Jin and Sun helped me make it more stable. As I said earlier, building stuff isn't my gift. That night, I fell asleep listening to a crackling fire. I don't know why, but I felt safer knowing that a group of people was surrounding me; even if they were people I had just met.


	3. Nightmares and Kisses

**Author's note: **Ok, the beginning of this chapter is a bit intense, if that bugs you skip the italics and enjoy a bit of fluffiness.

_

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_

_I put the last pillow back on the bed and gave the comforter a final, smoothing touch. I opened the window and took a deep cleansing breath. I loved the smell of fresh air combined with fresh laundry. Daniel had gone to the city for the weekend, and I was expecting him home tomorrow morning. I of course, would be long gone by the time he got back. I sighed, and then phone rang. I rushed to pick it up. "Hello?"_

"_Hey Natts, it's Jean."_

"_Jean, I'm glad you called." Ok, that was a half-truth. _

"_So, I take it you're still going through with it, then?" She asked. The concern was evident in her voice._

"_Yeah, I'm leaving tonight."_

"_Natalie, honey, are you sure this is a good idea?"_

"_Nothing about this whole arrangement is a good idea, Jean."_

"_I know. What do you think he'll do?"_

_I sighed and sat down on the bed. "I have no idea what he'll do. But I know for a fact what he'll do if I don't leave. He'll kill me, Jean. I know that sounds outrageous, but it's true. You've never seen him when he's upset. It's like he loses all control and turns into pure rage."_

_Jean sighed. "Natalie, I know that leaving is the best option. But are you sure running off to Australia is the best escape route?"_

_"The way I see it, the farther away from him I can get the safer I will be. And an ocean would mean even more protection."_

"_Well, I'm going to miss you. Take care of yourself."_

"_I will. I'll call you when I get there. I'll miss you too."_

_We hung up after that. I stared blankly out the window for a few minutes and then stood. I was getting out of Texas. I had lied when I told Jean that I was leaving that night. I figured the less she knew, the less Daniel could hurt her. I grabbed my denim jacket from the closet and headed downstairs. I took one last look around the house to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. My suitcase was at the front door. I reached for it, but I never picked it up. "Hi, honey…" An all too familiar voice said from behind me. "Goin' somewhere?" _

_I whirled around to see Daniel standing in the hallway. "I wasn't expecting you back 'til tomorrow." I said quietly._

"_And I suppose you were plannin' on bein' here to welcome me home?" He replied mockingly._

_I backed towards the door. I wasn't going to die, not today, and not at his hands. "Daniel, I love you…"_

"_Stop lying, you ungrateful bitch!" He screamed as he started to walk towards me. _

_I bolted with only my car keys. I could buy new clothes in Australia. I ran for my car._

"_Natalie, get back here!" Daniel yelled._

Jin and Sun woke to the sound of a woman's soft screams. Jin looked at his wife. "Natalie?" He asked. Sun nodded and they ran to Natalie's shelter where they found her thrashing wildly in her sleep.

Sun touched Natalie's arm to try and wake her. "Natalie." She said gently. When she couldn't get Natalie to wake up, she turned to Jin. "Get Sawyer!" She said urgently. Jin nodded and ran towards Sawyer's shelter.

_I was almost to my car, which was parked in the barn when the buckling end of Daniel's belt dug into my forehead. I cried out as I fell backwards. I didn't have time to recover before Daniel was on top of me giving me the beating of my life._

Sawyer followed Jin to Natalie's shelter. "We gotta wake her up before she hurts herself. Jin hold her feet down so she can't kick me in the head." Sawyer said as he straddled Natalie, who immediately started clawing at him. Sawyer grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the ground above her head. "Natalie, wake up!" He said forcefully.

Natalie jolted awake, wild-eyed and panting for breath. Jin let go of her feet and Sawyer moved so that he was no longer straddling her. Natalie sat up, brought her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake anyone up." She said quietly.

Sun touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked gently.

Natalie nodded. "I'm fine. It was a nightmare. They aren't usually that bad. Of course, I have been living by myself, so I don't know… I'm sorry I woke you."

Jin smiled and motioned for Sun to follow him back to their shelter, which she did. Sawyer sat looking at Natalie. "You have these nightmares all the time?" He finally asked.

Natalie shook her head. "No, well, not at first. When I first found myself here, they came every few weeks. But now, they've started coming more frequently. I've been getting different memories each time lately. It's like I'm watching what happened before I got here." She gently touched the scar on her forehead. "I think I just found out how I got the gash on my forehead."

Sawyer looked intrigued. "Really, princess. Care to share with the rest of the class?"

Natalie shook her head. "Not really. Why do you keep calling me princess?"

Sawyer shrugged. "Dunno, just seems to suit. And until you can think of a better nickname, I think I'll stick with that one." He said with a grin.

Natalie stood and stretched. "I'm going for a walk." She said.

Sawyer stood up too. "Kinda late for a stroll along the beach ain't it?"

"I won't be sleeping anymore tonight?"

"No?"

Natalie shook her head. "I never sleep after a nightmare. They're too real." She said as she made her way towards the shore.

"Well, I'm not letting you just wander off by yourself. It's too dangerous at night." Sawyer said as he followed her.

Natalie shrugged and kept walking. "Fine by me. Just keep up."

They walked along in silence for a while. Finally, Sawyer spoke up. "What's got you so damn scared?" He asked.

"My nightmares, they're about my fiancé. I don't thinkn he wasn't exactly a nice man." She said softly.

Sawyer gently grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "He give you that scar?" He asked as he traced her scar with his thumb, holding her head still with his hand.

Natalie closed her eyes. "Yeah, that one, plus others." She whispered.

"There, now you've answered my question, I'll answer yours."

Natalie looked confused. "What…?"

"I call you princess because of that scar. Reminds me of little princess who fell down and caused her crown to go lopsided."

Natalie blushed in the moonlight. "I didn't realize it was that big." She said bringing her hand up to cover the scar.

Sawyer caught her wrist. "I like it." He said and kissed the scar. Natalie pulled away, but Sawyer pulled her closer to him. "When was the last time you were touched by a man in a way that wasn't meant to hurt you?" He asked.

Natalie shrugged. "I…I don't remember." She was trembling now.

Sawyer grinned. "Then it's up to me to help you remember." He said huskily. He brushed his lips against her forehead, tracing the scar. Natalie shut her eyes as he kissed her cheek and then her mouth. After a brief kiss, Sawyer pulled back. "Whoever he was, I'm not him." He said as he pulled Natalie into a hug.

"No, you're not." She said resting her head on his shirtless chest.

For a while they stood there. Sawyer held the tiny, frightened woman and stroked her hair. Natalie began to relax in the strong arms of a man she hardly new. After about thirty minutes Sawyer kissed her head. "Come on, let's go back to my shelter and try to get some sleep.

Natalie nodded. "Sounds good." An hour later she was asleep in the arms of the muscular southerner. And for the first time in a long time, it was a dreamless sleep.


	4. Waking Up

**Disclaimer: '**kay, so ya'll know what I'm gonna say already. I don't own any of this. So, since ya'll are smart readers, this is the last time I'm posting a disclaimer for this story. This one covers the rest of the story.

**Author's Note:** 'kay, this is a shorter chapter, but it needed to end where it did. Oh, btw, this story is kind of an emotional release for me. So whatever I write, I don't really think about it, I just let the keyboard do it's thing. Enjoy!

* * *

I woke up slowly and looked groggily around. At first I didn't know where I was, then I remembered the night before. I was in Sawyer's shelter; his arm was around my waist. I didn't move. I thought about what had happened the night before. We hadn't done anything. He had held me, and I had fallen asleep. No need to complicate matters. After all, it wasn't like we had kissed or any… Damn it! We had kissed, and it was nice. I took a mental note that my clothes where on my body just as they should have been. Ok, no need to panic; we hadn't done more than kiss. Without even thinking, I let out a small sigh of relief.

Sawyer stirred and squeezed my shoulder. "Mornin' princess. Sleep well?"

I yawned. "Best sleep I've had in a while." I mumbled before I buried my face in the blanket beneath us.

Sawyer moved back and then turned me over onto my back. I blinked up at him. He grinned down at me. "Happy to be of service." He said playfully.

I grinned half-heartedly and then tried to roll back onto my side, so I wouldn't have to look at his oh-so-gorgeous face. But he wasn't fooled. He put one hand, gently but firmly, on my shoulder to keep me from turning away. "Something the matter?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine." I said softly.

He wasn't convinced. "No, you aren't. What's going on?"

I managed to wriggle out from under his grip; I think he let me go. I stood up. "Nothing a nice long run won't cure." I said cryptically as I left his shelter. He called after me, but I ignored him. I needed to think. So I started thinking. Scratch that. I began arguing with myself.

_Why are you so freaked out? You didn't do anything wrong._

_I kissed him, and then I spent the night in his shelter._

_So what? He's nice, cute, and that accent…_

_Danny was nice at first. He was cute too, and he had the perfect Texas accent. Look how that turned out._

_This isn't Daniel we're talking about. This is Sawyer._

_So what?! He's a man. He's only interested in one thing._

_Don't be ridiculous. Give him a damn Chance._

I came to a quick stop and sat down on the beach. "I can't… I just can't." I muttered aloud.

"Can't what?" A voice asked behind me.

I jumped clean out of my skin. I didn't even have to turn around to know that beautiful Southern voice belonged to Sawyer. I shook my head. "Nothing… at least, nothing I want to talk about right now."

Sawyer sat next to but facing me. He grinned. "I ain't leavin' till you talk to me, princess."

I turned my face away. "You'll be sittin' there a long time then." I said matter-of-factly.

He shrugged and turned my face back towards him. "My name's James Ford. I'm a con man." He said with all seriousness.

I gave him a questioning look. "What the hell are you trying to pull?"

"I ain't pullin' nuthin'. I just figured it might be easier to talk to me if you knew something about me."

I nodded slightly. He did have a point. "I just freaked out a little bit when I woke up next a man I hadn't even known 24 hours." I said.

"There's more to it than that."

I gritted my teeth. He was relentless. "I've spilled all I'm gonna spill." I replied. "You already know enough about me to…" I stopped, realizing what I'd been about to say.

"Enough to what?" He asked.

I sighed defeatedly. "Enough to control me with." I finally said quietly.

For a minute, Sawyer didn't say anything. When he finally spoke, it was gently. "What gave you the idea that I want to control you?"

I drew my knees up under my chin and began drawing in the sand with my finger. I didn't say anything. Actually, I couldn't say anything. So I didn't say anything. I just looked at my sand drawing.

Sawyer let me have my silence for a few minutes, then he gently gripped my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. "Talk to me, princess." He commanded gently.

My heart fluttered when he called me princess and I couldn't resist him anymore. He wanted the truth, well I'd give him as much of the truth as I could remember. "Sawyer, the only memories I have are from my nightmares. The only memories the nightmares bring are of an abusive fiancé. So, all I know aside from solitude is a man who would hit me just for the hell of it. Now, I meet you and…" I couldn't go any further, so I just shut my eyes and cried.

Sawyer looked at me for about two seconds, and then he scooted even closer to me, and pulled me into his arms. He stroked my hair soothingly. "Shh…it's ok… I won't hurt you… I swear… Whatever he did to you, I swear I ain't that guy."

I clung to him like my life depended on him. I tried to say thanks, but all I could manage was a rather loud hiccup. Sawyer just laughed softly. He didn't kiss me this time. He just held me and let me cry. Actually, I think that was more meaningful than any kiss. I quit crying, and then I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his heartbeat and the crashing waves. I can't explain why, but I knew I was safe. At least, as long as Sawyer was around, no one else really mattered.


	5. Memories

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it

**Author's note: **I know it's been forever since my last update, and I apologize. So here it is. Enjoy.

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Sawyer and I sat on the beach for about an hour and then we walked back to the camp. I walked over to Jin and Sun's camp, because I felt I needed to apologize for the night before. Jin was gone but Sun was there. She smiled at me. "Hello Natallie."

"Hi Sun. I came over to apologize for last night. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Sun shook her head. "Don't apologize. Nightmares happen." She patted the ground next to her. "Come sit down and have some breakfast."

I shrugged and did as I was told. I actually enjoyed the fish that she had cooked. This surprised me, because, after two years of not much else other than fish, you'd think I'd hate it. But Sun is a much better cook than I will ever be.

After sitting and talking to Sun for over an hour, I decided to go for a run. It was nice to feel the sunlight against my neck as I ran. I stopped after about twenty minutes and sat down. Eventually, I couldn't resist the urge to take my shoes off. I dug my feet into the warm sand and laid down. I closed my eyes and sighed, content just to soak up the sun in peaceful quiet.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, a shadow was standing over me. "You'll get sunburned layin' out like that." The smooth southern voice drawled.

I grinned. "Two years alone and now I get the sunburn lecture?" I shot back. "Go away, I was napping." I said playfully.

Sawyer sat down next to me. "Is that what you were doing? I could have sworn you were dreamin'. What was the dream about?"

"I think I was dreaming about butter turtles." I said as I sat up.

Sawyer laughed. "What the hell is a butter turtle?"

I grinned. "A cross between butterflies and turtles."

Sawyer laughed again. It was a nice rich laugh. The kind of laugh that made you feel warm and happy all over. I wanted to bottle that laugh and save it for later. I sat up and contented myself with gazing at his face and that enchanting smile. A soft giggle escaped from my lips.

Sawyer looked over at me with an amused expression on his face. "What's so funny, princess?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all."

"You're terrible at lying." He said with a smile. He handed me a bottle of rum. "Buy you a drink, ma'am?" He asked with mock formality.

I looked at him with a shocked expression on my face. "Where did you get this?"

He grinned that charmingly arrogant grin that made my heart flutter. "My private stash. Drink up."

I used my teeth to pull out the cork, and spit it out. "Two years on this damn island, and finally someone thinks to bring out the rum!" I said as I began consuming the contents of the bottle.

Sawyer shook his head. "Now, I would have pegged you more as a little whiskey girl, but I've been wrong before."

I laughed. "Oh I prefer whiskey, but after two years anything will do."

He laughed, took another drink of his rum, laid back on the sand, and stretched out. I let my gaze wander the length of his well toned body. "See anything you like, princess?"

I blushed. "Maybe." I said, trying my best to be enigmatic. I followed his lead and stretched out on the sand again. I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to block out the sun.

"You aren't going to sleep on me again, are you?"

I pretended to snore.

"Oh no you don't" Sawyer said as he stood up and pulled me to my feet.

I was a little bit drunk and more than a little confused. "What are you doing?" I asked.

Sawyer pulled me close to him. "We're taking a walk, princess. I am far more interesting than a nap, and there's something I want you to see."

He wrapped his arm around me as we walked down the beach. I wrapped my arm around his well muscled torso. I honestly didn't care were Sawyer was taking me. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this relaxed. Of course I really couldn't remember much before the island. Sawyer stopped after we had walked about 15 minutes. "Look up there." Sawyer pointed to the sky.

I looked were he was pointing. "What am I looking…" I was interrupted by Sawyer kissing me. His lips brushed against the side of my neck. The feel of his breath against my skin sent shivers of delight down my spine. His kisses moved to my throat. It was wonderful to be kissed by that man. But at the same time, my heart was a flutter with just the smallest tinge of fear. "Sawyer…" I breathed, just barely above a whisper.

"Stop talking." He commanded. His voice was thick with longing and that southern accent was so smooth. I felt as if I would melt like butter on a hot potato when he pulled me close to his body and pressed his lips firmly against mine. Unfortunately for me, that feeling didn't last very long before my brain decided to open it's big mouth. _Natalie? What the hell are you doing? Stop kissing him! He's not to be trusted. You have to run, like you always have! _I started to pull away, and Sawyer must have noticed that something wasn't quite right. "What's wrong?'

_What's wrong is I was just kissing you and in the process following head over heals in love with you! _My mind screamed at me. What came out of my mouth was something entirely different. "I can't…" I stammered weakly.

Sawyer looked confused. "Can't what?"

I shook my head and took a few steps back. I looked at the ground and muttered weakly. "I'm sorry, I have to go." I turned and began to walk away.

"Natalie, what's going on? Was it something I did?"

I didn't want to explain. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to explain anything. At that moment, a blinding headache hit and knocked me to the ground. The last thing I remember was Sawyer's worried voice asking me what was wrong before I lost consciousness.

_Natalie woke slowly and with a groan. She tried to sit up, but a firm hand on her shoulder held her down. "Easy does it, you're pretty smashed up." A gentle male voice said quietly._

_I blinked through terribly swollen and sore eyes. "Were am I?" I asked groggily._

"_You're in a medical center. Don't worry, you're safe."_

_I choked out a barky laugh. "Safe?"_

_The man smiled at me. "Don't worry about it. Just get some rest." He said softly before leaving the room._

_I stayed motionless for a moment before the door opened again. A smallish man with glasses entered. "How are you feeling?"_

"_Like I've just been thrashed by my fiancé."_

_He laughed softly and then held out his hand. "My name is Benjamin Linus, but you can call me Ben."_

"_I'm Natalie." I replied as I accepted the offered hand._

"_I know." Ben answered. "I know almost everything there is to know about you."_

_I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but I was interrupted by a sharp prick on my neck. "What did you do to me?" I slurred as darkness began to overtake me._

_Ben just smiled and said, "Nothing you'll remember."_

"Natalie?" Sawyer's voice broke through the darkness. "Natalie, wake up! Come on, I know you can hear me." He shook my shoulders gently.

My eyes flew open, and I grasped at his arms. "I remember." I said softly, my breath coming in gasps.

Sawyer sat down next to me and pulled me into his arms _"_What do you remember?" He asked as he gently kissed my forehead.

"I remember how I got here." I squeezed my eyes shut tight in a vain attempt to stop the flood of tears that threatened to burst through.

"What happened?" His thumb traced circles beneath my shoulder blade.

"After Danny pulverized me, I woke up in a room I'd never seen before. There was a doctor in the room. He checked my vital signs, wrote some stuff down, and then he left. After that, another man came into the room. He said his name was Benjamin Linus."

Sawyer's entire body tensed and he let out a low growl. "I really hate that son of a bitch."

I looked up at him in surprise. "You know him?"

His expression darkened. "You might say that. He's the leader of the others."

"You're kidding, right?" My heart sank with the realization that not only were my nightmares real, they were now on the same island.

"What is it?" Sawyer asked, noticing my worried expression.

"I thought I was safe. I thought I was finally done running." My voice sounded small and vulnerable.

Sawyer wrapped his arms around me even tighter and kissed the top of my head. "You are safe." He said it like it was a fact.

I wanted to believe him. I wanted with all my heart spend the rest of my life in his arms. I closed my eyes and inhaled his intoxicating scent. "How can you be so sure?" I asked softly.

He caught my chin and tilted my face up towards his own. The look in his eyes was intense. "You are safe, because if anyone lays a hand on you, I'll make them wish they'd never been born."

I blinked. "What… how is that… you can't…?"

He interrupted my inane babble by enveloping my mouth with his. His lips were soft and gentle as they caressed mine. He pulled away for the briefest moment to whisper "Quit arguing with me, woman."

"OK, as long as you keep doing that." I whispered back before his lips found mine again.


End file.
